Shloka 10

Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणायाभिरूपाय यो दद्यादन्नमर्थिने । विदधाति निर्धि श्रेष्ठ पारलीकिकमात्मन:,जो याचना करनेवाले सुपात्र ब्राह्मणको अन्नदान देता है, वह परलोकमें अपने लिये एक अच्छी निधि (खजाना) बना लेता है

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāyābhirūpāya yo dadyād annam arthine | vidadhāti nidhim śreṣṭha pāralaukikam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

నారదుడు పలికెను—అన్నం కోరుతూ వచ్చిన యోగ్యుడైన, గౌరవనీయుడైన బ్రాహ్మణునికి ఎవడు అన్నదానం చేస్తాడో, వాడు తనకు పరలోకంలో శ్రేష్ఠమైన నిధిని సమకూర్చుకొనును।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अभिरूपाय: to a worthy/fit (person)
• अभिरूपाय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिरूप
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दद्यात्: should give / would give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्थिने: to one who seeks (a supplicant)
• अर्थिने: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• विदधाति: arranges / establishes / provides
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• निधिम्: a treasure, deposit
• निधिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठ: O best (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पारलौकिकम्: otherworldly, pertaining to the next world
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारलौकिक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मनः: for oneself / of oneself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• brāhmaṇa
• anna (food)
• nidhi (treasure/merit-store)
• paraloka (the next world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Food-giving (anna-dāna) to a worthy brāhmaṇa who seeks help is praised as a high dharmic act, because it becomes a lasting ‘treasure’ of merit that benefits the giver in the afterlife.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused discourse, Nārada states a general rule of dharma: supporting a deserving petitioner—specifically by giving food—creates enduring spiritual wealth (nidhi) for the donor beyond this world.